Coupler for caps and fuses for giant-powder



(No Model.)

w K. MGPARLAND,

COUPLER FOR GAPS AND'IU'SES FOR GIANT POWDERL No. 468,890 Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

wzl ncsse q 1,108

ww aw UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

KELLEY MOFARLAND, OF CLACKAMAS, OREGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,890, dated February Application filed May 25, 1891- Serial No. 394,006. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, KELLEY MCFARLAND, a

v citizen of the United States, residing at Clackamas, in the county of Clackamas and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Coupler for Caps and Fuses for Giant-Powder, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore giant-powder cartridges have been fastened to the fuse by making a hole in the powder with a sharpened stick about the depth of the giant-powder cap, so as to bed the cap in the powder. The fuse, after being inserted in the cap with nippers, has always heretofore been tied with a string to the covering of the giant-powder. This is the universal method, and has resulted in many accidents and much loss of life. The failures to explode the cartridge have often been two out of every twenty shots. In order to keep out the dampness, grease or soap is freely used around the cap and fuse, making it very difficult to keep the string tight around the fuse and the cap in place. Hot weather softens powder, and in tampin g the charge the cap is liable to be jolted completely out of the powder and cause a mishap in the explosion, rendering it most dangerous to life to attempt to dig out the charge. The rule in the use of giant-powderis that the better the tamping the better the execution; also, that the powder must be closely confined to be successfully exploded. A third requisite is to have the cap explode lengthwise of the cartridge and in its center. This is necessary to insure a perfect sudden ignition of all the powder in the charge. Sufficient tamping is thus also difficult, because the recommendation of manufacturers is to insert merely the cap in the powder. If set any deeper, the burning of the fuse will simply ignite the powder, which will then burn and ruin the explosion. In most of the failures the caps have usually been found exploded and the giant-powder not ignited. This proves that they were jolted out of place, or have been caused to slide out of the cartridge by the tamping, and the more the cap and fuse vary in position to either side of the center of the cartridge the greater the liability of a failure of explosion, for the powder will slowly burn out or not ignite. Hence occurs the tremendous danger and accident spoken of in digging out charges. The loss of time and extreme difficulty of tying these caps in place is apparent. Blasting is often to be done in cold bad weather or in unfavorable situations. The delay and expense caused are thus great.

The object of my invention is to obviate these difficulties. It will insure the cap re -maining at a certain depth in the cartridge and exactly in the center of it. It is several times as quick and very much easier by my invention to adjust the cap and fuse in the cartridge than by the old method. By it there is no danger of pulling the cap and fuse out of position by tamping or by pulling on the fuse when necessary to lower the charge into a hole inconvenient to reach. Therefore it is required to have the cartridge firmly fastened to the fuse. It saves the cost of the twine, which must be of the best quality.

To carry my invention into effect, I have pieces of metal, preferably of tin, usually cut into four prongs with a solid center of about the diameter of the cartridge, but with a hole in the center the size of the fuse. These prongs are sharp, so as to permit of their being easily and quickly inserted in the side of the cartridge. They can be used with perfect safety. There the nippers have pinched cap and fuse together a shoulder is left on the cap, which rests against this metal, which- I call a coupler. The end of the cartridge thus has a secure metal top and is almost impervious to water by reason also of the grease used around the fuse Where it enters the cap and which will now be where the cap touches the coupler.

The metal capis a protection from jar that might explode the cartridges, as it holds the cap at the top, no matter how soft the powder may become or how much displaced by tamping. The spark caused by thefuse burning will now go straight the whole length of the cartridge and in the center of it.

Figure 1 is the cartridge all connected.

Fig. 2 is the coupler ready for fastening to What I claim, and desire to secure by Letthe cartridge. Fig. 3 is the metal coupler ters Patent, is

before being connected with fuse and cap. A coupler for a cartridge, consisting of a 15 Fig. 4 is the cap connected with fuse by a disk having a central perforation for the in- 5 nipper. sertion of a fuse and provided with prongs The same letters refer to the same parts in radiating from the edge of the disk, said thexdifieifent figures. I prongs terminating in sharpened points.

is t e cartrid e. B is the cap. 0 KELLEY MCFARLAND. 10 C is the fuse. Witnesses:

D D D D are the prongs on coupler. EDWD. M. ATKINSON,

EE are the shoulders on the cap. JOHN. P. KLENSCH. 

